Fractured Minds
by PyroTori
Summary: NG Psychiatric Hospital is home to many kinds of patients - the depressed, the delusional, the paranoid, the broken. None of them are expected to ever be cured; but maybe, just maybe, some of them can find healing with each other. Shonen-ai Many series


I need a better title...

This plot is so overused, but it's fun to write. I didn't even intend to share this story with anyone but my sister; but I need to post something more so I can offer my services as a beta.

This story features characters from Fruits Basket, Yugioh, Fullmetal Alchemist, Tsubasa, Yami No Matsuei, Ouran High School Host Club, Saiyuki, Inuyasha, Naruto, Gravitation, Tactics, and Weiss Kreuz, and probably cameos from other series. There are also characters from my own original stories: Amon, Andromeda, Desdemona, Cora, Lynn, Eris, Tess, Chase, Locura, Charon and Alastor are all my own creations. Nothing else belongs to me.

Ok, this chapter is crap. I admit it and I'm sorry, but its main purpose is just to introduce the many characters and the routine. It will be much better when the story really gets started.

Finally, a warning: This story will contain both het and shonen-ai relationships. If that bothers you, there are plenty of other stories which will be more to your liking. Please don't complain about mine; nobody's forcing you to read it.

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Chapter One - Chase

The building seemed larger than Chase remembered. He had never been nervous about entering before, although he suspected many others would be. It was a different matter now, however. He was no longer just a visitor. Now he would be working here. He climbed the few steps to the front doors and walked inside.

Riza Hawkeye was at the nurse's had met many times before, and now she greeted him warmly before introducing him to another nurse, Sango, who he would be accompanying for his first day. He liked her right away; she had a kind smile and the easy confidence of someone who knows she can handle anything life throws at her. As she showed him around they talked, and he learned that she was an orphan raising her younger brother alone. She was describing some of the worse jobs she'd taken to make ends meet when she looked at her watch.

"Breakfast time," she announced, leading him to a short hallway lined with doors, "and a perfect opportunity for introductions." She knocked on the first door before opening it and stepping inside. There were two beds; one was empty, while the other was occupied by a blond in his late twenties. A teenager with pale skin and white hair lay on the floor next to his bed, staring guiltily up at Sango. She shook her head but smiled at him.

"It's alright, Ryou. You spent most of the night in your own bed. Go get some breakfast, ok?" He nodded, but when he reached the bedroom door he seemed reluctant to go any farther. He simply stood next to Chase and watched Sango shake the older man roughly until he finally woke up. Muttering something rude and looking like he was still half-asleep, he grabbed the teen's hand and dragged him down the hall. Sango joined Chase at the door and pointed at the younger of the two.

"Ryou Bakura. Severe dependency. He became intensely attached to every roommate he had so we stopped trying to move him around, but try not to let him spend all of his time with Eiri during the day. You'll have no problem getting him to listen to you; most of the time he's the sweetest kid I know. He also suffers from DID and his alter ego is a real bastard, but he's harmless. I warn you now, though; he's a kleptomaniac with a knack for picking pockets. Keep an eye on your belongings, especially anything remotely dangerous. Most of the residents are at risk for self-harm.

"Ryou's roommate is Eiri Uesugi. Bipolar disorder coupled with post-traumatic stress. You won't have to worry much about him. His brother-in-law is Tohma Seguchi, the centre's founder, so there are always people tripping over themselves to make sure he's taken care of." They crossed the hall to the next room. There were nurses around the corner waking people and making sure everyone went straight to the dining room, but this hallway was empty aside from them.

This room was occupied by two young men, both with short brown hair. One of them stared at Chase with obvious disdain. Lack of sleep had created pockets of deep shadow around his eyes. His roommate offered a polite smile and introduced himself as Hakkai Cho. He had green eyes that didn't quite match; looking closely, Chase suspected that one was fake. After they had gone on to breakfast Sango asked if he had noticed.

"What happened to him?"

"He was in love with his sister. She was his whole world, until she was kidnapped and raped. Somehow he managed to find her, but she committed suicide. He slaughtered the men who had taken her. Then he started to rip out his own eyes so he didn't have to see a world without her in it." Chase was stunned. Of course he had known what kind of people he would be dealing with here, but it was hard to associate such acts with that kind smile. "He was lucky, though. Unlike most of the people here, he wasn't alone. He had friends who stopped him. At the hospital he gave his real name, Gonou, but when he came here he insisted that Gonou was dead. He's been Hakkai ever since.

"The other one is Seto Kaiba. Brilliant businessman, but also an unstable asshole. He's volatile and defensive but not considered a threat to anyone but himself. Keep a close eye on him; he's a determined cutter, and he'll hurt himself indirectly by neglecting food and sleep. He's easy enough to handle, though. If he gives you any trouble just point out that you can keep him from having visitors. His brother is everything to him."

The first two rooms had been plain and impersonal, but the third had been transformed into a comfortable home. One wall bore a hand-painted mural of a rain forest. It was filled with purple flowers which appeared to match the blanket on one of the beds, but it was hard to tell; it was covered in so many stuffed animals that it was hard to see the blanket, let alone imagine anyone being able to sleep there.

The room's occupants sat on the other bed, which had emerald green sheets. One, a man with long, unnaturally silver hair, was applying liquid eyeliner for his roommate. He was completely focused on his task as he carefully painted a vertical line below the other's left eye, covering a faint scar. Once he was finished he looked up at them with a cheerful smile, and Chase saw that one of his eyes was hidden by a pirate-style patch. When Sango asked how they were doing he proudly held up the cartoon-like stuffed rabbit in his lap. His companion, however, looked up from applying dice decals to his nails and glared.

"He took my entire collection of eyeshadow!" Sango narrowed her eyes at him.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing!"

"Ryuuji..."

"It was a total accident. I tripped and scratched myself on the corner of the dresser." He rolled up both sleeves and held out his arms, revealing on one a long, shallow cut. There were scars on both arms creating matching abstract designs. "See? Not symmetrical, and not even pretty. Obviously an accident."

Sango looked closely at the healing wound. "When was this?" Ryuuji's roommate answered.

"Last night. The night nurse knows all about it." He suddenly pranced over to Chase and grabbed his wrist to examine his watch, then sighed at Ryuuji in exasperation. "Come on. If you make me miss Looney Tunes I'll hide your green nail polish."

"Alright already, I'm coming." He finished tying up his long black hair and the two left for the dining room. Ryuuji apparently had no problem going to breakfast in his pyjamas but his hair and makeup had to be perfect..

Sango smiled after them as she continued her introductions. "Ryuuji Otogi and Pegasus Crawford. Unlike most of our residents, they've actually got a shot at getting out of here before too long. When Ryuuji first came to us he was wasting away from anorexia and so obsessed with his appearance that when his alcoholic father slashed one cheek he cut the other to make himself symmetrical. Unfortunately for him only one side scarred, but he's come to terms with it now. Pegasus believed he could revive his dead wife through magic and tore his eye out to use as a sacrifice. Neither of them would admit that they had a problem; then they became roommates, then friends, and then they worked out their deal.

"If Ryuuji doesn't eat, or tries to hurt himself, Pegasus takes some of his makeup. If Pegasus gives in to delusion Ryuuji takes a stuffed animal. When they have a good day they get something back. It's unorthodox to allow it, but they've made more progress with each other's help than with the doctors."

Chase smiled. "This place isn't exactly known for orthodoxy."

"True." She nodded toward the next door. "In a more conventional place one of these guys would be out already, and the other would be nothing but a hollow shell."

As soon as she knocked the door was opened from the inside. It was answered by a young man with blue eyes and a blond braid that hung down to his waist. He had delicate, feminine features that didn't suit his scowling expression. He looked exhausted, and was already wearing jeans and a t-shirt; either he had been up very early or he'd never gone to bed. He slipped out into the hall with them, easing the door shut behind him, and glared suspiciously at Chase before addressing Sango.

"He had a bad night. Omi gave him something to help him sleep but he threw it up. He's finally calming down, but he'll be extra sensitive today. Fair warning; anyone messes with him, I'll break their neck. Keep the assholes out of our way." He reached for the door, but hesitated. "Give me something."

Sango glanced sidelong at Chase before handing over two pills which were immediately dry-swallowed. The patient returned to his room, but she turned to the new nurse before following. "Don't tell the doctors. We're not supposed to give them anything for headaches since they can't prove they need it, but most of us keep something on hand for Andromeda's migraines. For him to actually ask for it he must be in a lot of pain."

Inside the room they found that the two dressers had been pushed to a corner to create a small alcove. Andromeda's roommate sat in that small space, his knees drawn up to his chest. At the blond's gentle coaxing he emerged.

He had light brown skin and short, black curls. His chocolate brown eyes were large and child-like. He wore a simple white nightgown; if Andromeda hadn't said 'he' earlier, Chase might have mistaken him for a girl. He smiled shyly and held out one hand as if to shake Chase's, though he was too far away.

Andromeda, still glaring suspiciously, explained. "This is Amon Rai. He says it's nice to meet you. He doesn't talk and he wears girl's clothes, and there's nothing wrong with that. Who the hell are you?"

"Um, Chase. Chase Ashford. I'm the new nurse here." Andromeda still looked displeased, and Chase wondered if he was trying to pick a fight. Luckily Sango stepped in before he could find out.

"I hear you had a rough night." Amon nodded, looking ashamed. "I think you might feel better if you go eat something. Andi's going to breakfast, right?" The blond nodded and took Amon's hand. It was amazing how quickly he could go from a defensive asshole to gentle and comforting. Amon mimed putting something in his mouth and Sango smiled. "Good. Now go on." She shooed them out of the room. When she turned back to Chase her expression was sad.

"This past week he's actually been sleeping straight through the night. I had hoped he was finally past the night terrors." She sighed. "Amon witnessed the murder of his family when he was very small. He escaped but disappeared; he was only found two years ago, living alone in a cabin. No one knows what he went through in the years he was missing. Since coming here he's only spoken once, to Andromeda, and all he said was his sister's name. He has the most severe post-traumatic stress I've ever seen. If it weren't for Andi he'd be completely broken by now.

"Andi is extremely paranoid and highly aggressive. Amon used to be terrified of all strangers. Somehow they managed to earn each other's trust, and now they're inseparable. Andromeda was even supposed to be released last month, but he begged and threatened until he was allowed to stay. He realized Amon wouldn't make it without him."

There were two more rooms in this hallway; the rest were around the corner. As they approached the next door one of the doctors, Alastor Bhogavati, emerged from that other hall. He looked more like a professional fighter than a doctor; he was nearly seven feet tall, with huge muscles and a shaved head. When he spoke his voice was a low rumble.

"Temari has sent the rest on, but I had her leave these rooms to you. I feel it would be best to encounter Cora now. You can wake these two afterward."

Sango looked slightly apprehensive as she joined him across the hall, unnerving Chase. "She probably won't have a problem with you," she assured him. "If she does, Dr. Bhogavati can restrain her." Somehow he was not comforted by the fact that the muscular giant might be needed to protect him.

Inside the room, he noticed the pictures first. They covered the walls; crayon drawings of a girl surrounded by multicolored orbs and streaks. Sometimes she appeared to be covered in blood, but she always had an over-sized grin on her face. The artist herself sat on the floor, in a sort of nest made from her blankets and pillows, carefully tying her blonde hair in pigtails. When she saw Chase she froze, her blue eyes not even blinking, and he had the strange feeling that she was somehow looking right through him. She jumped up suddenly, startling all three of her visitors. "Ruby rose red," she announced gravely. Sango and Alastor visibly relaxed, putting Chase more at ease. He studied the girl as the doctor led her away. She was barely into her twenties, child-like and rather delicate looking. He didn't understand how she could be a threat.

Sango seemed to read his mind. "Don't be fooled. That's Cora Wright. You probably know her by a different name; she's had a few, but around here she was called Lucifer's Angel."

He knew the name. A vigilante serial killer, she was believed to have killed over one hundred people within two years. Most of her victims were prominent and respected figures who were revealed after their deaths to have been concealing terrible crimes. The fact that she somehow learned their secrets, coupled with her almost supernatural ability to evade capture, led some to believe she was a servant of the devil collecting damned souls.

He hadn't paid much attention to the case after she was caught. He knew there had been a great deal of debate about what to do with her and whether the schizophrenic young woman was even fit to stand trial,complicated by the fact that her crimes had been committed in several countries across three continents. He hadn't expected to encounter her here.

He was still staring after her when Sango opened the last door. Distracted, he didn't see the blond that burst out of the room and leapt at him until it was too late. He was tackled to the ground and pinned.

He had expected this to happen at some point. What he didn't anticipate was that the blond's roommate would also come barrelling out of the room and land on both of them. He chuckled as well as he could with two people on top of him.

"Good morning Loki. This must be Ryuichi."

"Yep! He's cool. He won't admit it but he's secretly a pixie. Not a very good one though, because instead of taking me away he just got himself stuck here. You having a job is weird. You weren't supposed to grow up. Come on, let's get food, I'm starving." He shoved Ryuichi, who rolled off of him and across the floor, chattering animatedly to Sango the whole time. Loki hopped up, pulled Chase to his feet, and started dragging him down the hall. The other two matched their pace, and Chase turned to give Sango an explanation.

"Locura was my foster brother before coming here." She nodded, unsurprised.

"Riza mentioned you knew someone here. You're not the only one; she and Temari have friends here too. Maybe it means you'll understand him better than we can."

Chase laughed. "Not likely. No one can really understand him. I think he'll always be a puzzle to everyone else." They had reached the dining room so Loki released his hand, but turned and winked at him.

"Of course. Doesn't it add to the fun?" He and Ryuichi skipped off to get their food, chatting in something that definitely wasn't English.

Left alone, Sango began explaining the routine to Chase while they supervised the meal. "Breakfast is from 7:00 to 7:30, then they have free time until 9:00. They can spend it in their own rooms, the common room, or out in the garden. We'll be in the common room today. 9:00 to 11:00 is visiting hours for one group and therapy for the other. They have an hour for lunch, then they switch until 2:00. The next few hours are spent in structured activities led by us or in their weekly individual therapy sessions. Dinner is from 6:00 to 7:00, then it's free time again until lights out at 10:00."

Chase had tried to memorize the schedule, he really had, but he'd already forgotten the times. She laughed at him, though not unkindly. "It's ok. You'll learn quick."

At 7:30 she showed him the way to the common room. Another nurse, Suguru Fujisaki, joined them. Before long people started wandering in.

Andromeda came in with one arm around Amon and leading a tiny young woman by the hand. Ryou had been pale but she was white, including her long, tangled hair. Sango had to call out to her twice before she turned, her pale blue eyes seeming to stare at something directly between the two nurses. Chase introduced himself and took the delicate hand she held out in his general direction.

"Desdemona Reid." Her voice was very soft. "My twin is Catherine." Sango and Andromeda both frowned, but he spoke first.

"Des..."

"I know. Here or not she's still Catherine. She should be known." Andromeda put his free arm around her and led her away. Chase turned to Sango.

"Is she blind?" She nodded.

"There were complications in her birth. She was left with brain damage affecting her sight and hearing. Her sister didn't make it.

"Their parents had expected two perfect daughters. When they ended up with one blind, half-deaf albino, the mother couldn't handle it. She refused to even accept that she'd given birth. She couldn't understand why there was a strange child in her father tried for a while, but he couldn't take care of his wife and his daughter. When Des started talking to an invisible friend she claimed was her dead sister, they put her in a home for disturbed children and she never heard from them again.

"A year ago Andi broke into the home. He came to rob the place and ended up taking her away with him. Apparently he didn't believe she belonged there and didn't think it was right to leave her behind. He promised to take care of her, so when they were brought here he demanded she be placed in the men's ward with him. Let me tell you, when that guy wants something he'll make your life hell until he gets it."

During free time Chase also met Eris Sanura, a histrionic flirt transferred from the women's ward after she seduced two other residents who tried to kill each other over her, and Hikaru'n'Kaoru Hitachiin, a pair of twins so devoid of individuality that even they didn't know which one was which. At 9:00 Suguru herded several people out of the room for their group therapy. Visiting hours were supposed to begin for the others, but Chase was dismayed to find that only one person showed up. The sole visitor was there to see his friend Ryuichi and his occasional lover Eiri; everyone else was left alone.

It occurred to him that if they'd had people who cared about them many of them wouldn't have ended up where they were.

Sango would be busy leading an activity in the afternoon, so she and Chase went to lunch when the residents did. They ate at a small diner nearby, and since Chase lived on the other side of town Sango gave him a quick tour of the neighborhood, pointing out the best places to eat and shop. They nearly lost track of time and had to rush back to avoid being late. When they got inside Sango looked around the empty lobby and sighed in relief.

"If they're not here, we're not late." Chase didn't have to ask who she meant. Visiting hours for Loki began after lunch, and he'd gotten to know the other visitors who were there every afternoon. He glanced at the clock in the nurse's station, which said it was exactly 12:00. Right on cue the front doors opened.

Seto's brother Mokuba dashed in first, backpack slung over one shoulder. One of the benefits of being ridiculously rich was being able to provide a lot of funding for his school, so he could take a two hour lunch break and no one would object. He tossed the bag carelessly against a wall and went straight to the visitor's lounge to wait for Seto.

Gaara wasn't far behind. He nodded a silent greeting, calling attention to the bright red ink on his forehead. Chase had once been intimidated by Gaara; by the staring, black-rimmed eyes, but especially by the symbol carved into his face, evidence of how close he'd come to being institutionalized himself. Now the scar had been covered by a tattoo, making the symbol clearer while at the same time hiding the evidence of his past madness.

He went to the nurse's station, now manned by Byakko, and dropped off a bag lunch for his sister, who worked there. Then, though everyone already knew who he came to see every day, he quietly asked for Naruto Uzumaki before joining Mokuba in the other room.

The doors had barely closed before they were thrown open dramatically to admit the final visitor. Chase groaned inwardly. It hadn't taken him long to realize that while Gaara was harmless, this was the man to fear.

The newcomer, Ayame Sohma, gasped in feigned shock. "Our little Chase, a nurse? But this won't do at all!" He grabbed Chase's wrist and spun him, examining the appallingly drab outfit. "Is this how you want Locura to see you every day? Of course not! Just leave it to me. You'll soon have the finest nurse's costume ever worn!" Chase wasn't sure how, but he soon found himself standing on a stool while Ayame whirled around him, taking his measurements and comparing swatches of fabric he kept in his coat 'for emergencies'. He was debating with himself how best to bring out the green of Chase's eyes when someone cleared her throat behind him.

Gaara's sister Temari stood there beside Ritsu Sohma. Trying - and failing - to hide behind him was his cousin, Ayame's brother Yuki.

Ayame twirled to face his brother, striking a dramatic pose and accidentally knocking Chase off of the stool. "Dearest Yuki! How long has it been since we saw each other last?"

"Exactly 23 hours and 50 minutes," supplied Byakko.

"To the world, perhaps, but for us each moment spent apart is a lifetime!" He was clearly about to launch into one of his typical over-the-top declarations of brotherly love. Yuki was clinging so tightly to Ritsu that you'd need a crowbar to get him off, and looked like he'd rather do anything than face his drama queen of a brother. To the amazement of everyone self-centered Ayame actually noticed his brother's barely-contained panic and cut his speech short.

"Oh, poor, troubled Yuki! I'm here for you. Come, take comfort in my awesome presence!" He swept forward and tore Yuki away from their cousin, pulling the boy into a tight embrace.

The nurses knew immediately that this was bad, even before Yuki began to scream and flail and Ayame reflexively held him tighter, trying to calm him. They rushed forward to help, but Ritsu was there first.

Trembling with his own suppressed anxiety, compulsively twisting his hair around his fingers, Ritsu had been watching the brothers. The moment Yuki cried out his eyes hardened. He stepped forward, grabbed Ayame's arm, and twisted, all in one fluid motion. Yuki broke free of his brother's grasp and fell to his knees, hyperventilating.

Realizing what he'd just done, Ritsu pulled away, eyes wide and fearful. He stared at an equally shocked Ayame, who was cradling his sore arm.

"I... I didn't... I'm..." He was stumbling over his words. His own panic was growing, and he looked like he would either freak out or faint; then Yuki reached up and grabbed his sleeve.

Ritsu dropped to the ground to hold the boy loosely and murmur soothingly in his ear, comforting him while Byakko gave him a sedative. Only when Yuki's breathing had slowed did Ritsu look back at Ayame. There was no trace of guilt in his face now.

"He doesn't want your help. He doesn't want anything from you. Leave us alone."

Ayame was stunned into silence. He'd messed up before, but Ritsu and Yuki had always given him another chance. This time, if the look in his cousin's eyes was anything to go by, there would be no forgiveness. He smiled brightly at his family and left without a word, and you could tell how much his departure hurt him by the fact that there was no drama to it at all.

Silence reigned for a moment, until a creak from the visitor's lounge door got everybody's attention. It was open just enough for three heads to poke through and watch everything that had happened. Mokuba was at the bottom, having abandoned Seto for something more interesting. Naruto was above him, close enough for his long blond hair to hang in the younger boy's eyes. Gaara was at the top, expressionless as usual, but the fact that he was watching at all meant that he was probably concerned about the brothers' fate.

Seeing them there seemed to break the unnatural stillness that had come over everyone, and they all got back to work. Temari snapped at the boys for spying and went to supervise their visits, while Sango and Chase escorted Ritsu and Yuki back to their room.

The cousins were mostly silent. Yuki was drained from his panic attack and feeling the effects of the sedative. Ritsu was, as usual, a bundle of nervous energy, stopping every so often to apologize profusely for causing a scene and ask if they thought Ayame could ever forgive someone so worthless as himself. That other Ritsu that appeared in Yuki's defense had vanished without a trace.

What Chase knew of the Sohmas he'd learned from Ayame, when they'd arrived too early for visiting hours and the older man had actually been in a serious mood. Yuki had been abused since childhood by the unstable patriarch of the family. No one knew the full extent of the abuse, but it had left Yuki too broken to function among people so he had been brought here. Ritsu had come not long after with his own severe anxiety, and the two had clung to each other as the only familiar thing in a strange and frightening place. With time this mutual comfort had become an unbreakable bond.

After dropping them off Sango and Chase went back to the common room until shortly before 2:00, when she showed him to a short hall that could only be entered or exited with a staff keycard.

"Residents can move between rooms as they like, but we don't want anyone wandering off through the main building." She pointed out the four doors along one wall. "Art, music, and a workout room. Sometimes Temari takes them outside for sports instead. The last door is locked; that's the computer room. We'll probably start using it again now that you're here, but since the last nurse quit we haven't had enough staff. Summers I'm outside, in the garden." Chase looked out at the grounds through the glass double doors opposite the rooms. There were actually two gardens, one for flowers and one for vegetables, as well as a small stand of fruit trees. Curious, he poked his head into each of the rooms and found them full of state-of-the-art equipment. Obviously Tohma Seguchi spared no expense.

The other nurses soon ushered everyone into the hall. Once they had settled into their chosen activities Chase was given a checklist and sent from room to room to make sure everyone was accounted for except those in their therapy sessions. He started in the art room. Riza was in charge, but it didn't look particularly organized. People were painting, sketching, and molding. Naruto was running around with a camera, his hair back in a ponytail to keep it out of his way. No one seemed to notice Chase except Eiri, who was drawing pornographic stick figures and looking bored out of his mind. Chase was just closing the door when Naruto popped up and snapped his picture, half-blinding him with the flash. He stumbled to the next room and groped for the door.

There was a little more structure in the music room. At least they were all playing the same song, though not very well; poor Suguru looked like his ears were likely to start bleeding. Hisoka Kurosaki on the violin was the only player with actual talent. Ryuichi could sing, but seemed to be inventing his own nonsense lyrics. Fai Flourite and Kantarou Ichinomiya were having a pleasant chat about demons, only half paying attention to the piano and guitar they were playing. Cora, the terrifying serial killer, was dancing around, banging a pair of tambourines together, and giggling. Chase shut the door again as quickly as possible, extremely grateful that the room was soundproof.

In the workout room he met Roy Mustang and Edward Elric, who were engaged in fierce competition. Since Temari was busy keeping an eye on Envy and Schuldig, the resident sociopaths, Chase was roped into being the judge as they challenged each other to one exercise after another. He eventually managed to slip away while they were attempting to race on stationary bikes and continued to his final destination.

He was glad to find that the handful of people in the garden were relatively calm. Yuki had pressed himself against the wall of the building, but seemed more relaxed while tending the vegetables with Ritsu. Tsuzuki Asato was looking after the roses and talking to them in between mouthfuls of fresh fruit. He found Lynn Maybell asleep under the trees and was able to check off the last name on his list. His task now done, he found his own spot to rest in the pleasant shade.

He was nearly napping when his pager startled him. He had to collect Hakkai and Envy and deliver them to their doctors' offices. Hakkai was easy to manage and went directly where he was supposed to; Envy was another story. While they walked he listened carefully to Hakkai and Chase's conversation, but he waited until Hakkai had been dropped off to speak himself.

"So you and the fairy boy were friends before he came here."

"It's pixies, actually," corrected Chase, though he knew Envy wouldn't care. "He'd get upset if you called him a fairy." The other man ignored the correction.

"He's the reason you're here, isn't he? You want to help him. But what makes you think you can?" He grinned wickedly. "I know all about what happened. You think you're such close friends, but that didn't help you back then. You couldn't even stop him from jumping." He leaned in close, forcing Chase to stumble backwards. "He could have been killed, and you were simply useless."

Chase had backed into a door and was leaning against it when it opened suddenly. He fell on his back and found himself staring up at one of the doctors, who fixed Envy with a steely glare.

"In." Envy seemed unfazed by the threatening tone, but he shrugged and sauntered into the room, 'accidentally' kicking Chase in the side as he stepped over him. The doctor helped the new nurse to his feet and introduced himself.

"Kyouya Ohtori." His glasses reflected the light, hiding his eyes and unnerving Chase.

"Ah, I'm -"

"Chase Ashford, only son of politician James Ashford. I was aware of your arrival." He smiled coldly. "I suggest you be careful with patients like Envy. It's his nature to hurt you in any way that he can." With a polite farewell he shut the door, leaving Chase to collect the three whose therapy had ended and bring them back with him.

Andromeda was clearly pissed off, and as he stormed back with Amon clinging to him as usual he muttered to himself. "Let him come alone next time. Like hell. Without me no one would even know what he's saying. I don't care what anyone says, he's not going anywhere without me."

Locura was the only cheerful one in the group, but he had enough energy for all four of them. He literally ran circles around the others, and when he got bored of that he ran triangles. Normally Chase found Loki's good moods infectious, but not now. Thanks to Envy he was remembering the sight of his best friend overcome by pain and shock, not so much from his injuries as from the realization that he had failed, he had been wrong.

He believed he could fly and had come crashing down to earth.

Locura had soon forgotten the incident, as he did everything unpleasant, but Chase never would. He spent the rest of the time until dinner watching Loki cavort around the music room with a set of pan pipes, remembering how close he had come to losing him.

On the way to dinner he was stopped by Charon Leonakos, who thrust a drawing into his hands. Apparently it was his tradition to greet newcomers with a portrait of themselves, though it didn't really show Chase as he was; it was an image of him as a child in a nurse costume, reading a novel under a tree while Loki, as an actual pixie, danced around him. He didn't really get it, but the picture cheered him up so he was grateful.

He spent dinner moving from one table to another, getting to know the patients a little better, but avoiding the place where Envy and Schuldig sat watching him. His shift ended after dinner, but before he left Sango brought him to the isolation rooms to meet the last patient.

"Here's the third member of our Deadly Trio. It's just a name; they're not likely to actually kill anyone. Envy and Schuldig are just sociopathic con men, and Farfarello here is their tag-along... mascot... thing. It's like they're a competent Team Rocket and he's their Meowth." She realized what she'd just said and groaned. "No more watching kids' shows with Kohaku."

The front of the room had a large window so they could see in. The man inside wore a straitjacket with the sleeves hanging loose.

"We had some trouble with him in the beginning. He had to be restrained until we found the right level of drugs to keep him under control. He fell in love with the jacket though, and he's a lot more docile when we let him wear it."

"What kind of trouble did he cause to end up in a straitjacket?" Violent patients were usually kept in another ward, in permanent isolation. Those here weren't supposed to be dangerous enough to require restraints.

"You remember Pegasus' eye patch? He didn't always wear it. Farf stole and ate his glass eye."

Chase stared through the window at the grinning psycho, thoroughly disturbed. He reminded himself that Farfarello hadn't been properly medicated at the time, but he still hoped the two of them would never be alone together. Frankly, he was terrified.

He ducked back into the common room to say goodnight to Loki, bid the other nurses goodbye, and headed for home. By the time he got there he was exhausted, but he couldn't go to bed until he finished his 'homework'. He had 29 patient files to review. It was going to be a long night.

He opened the box of files he'd brought home and found a sticky note on the front of the first one. It read: Welcome to NG Psychiatric Hospital.

* * *

Again, I know that sucked. Please don't judge it by this chapter, especially the end. I confess, I was just trying to have the full cast of patients mentioned within this chapter. The rest won't be so all over the place.

If you can think of a better title, please share it.


End file.
